The present disclosure is related generally to floatable equipment carrying apparatus, and more specifically to a floating caddy for both keeping desired and essential equipment handy and dry and for temporarily storing the fruits of shellfish hunting submerged in water.
There are times in life when the conditions one finds one's self in conspire to preclude our having at hand things needed or wanted in such conditions. This is often attributable to lack of foresight, misfortune, or impracticality. In few circumstances is this felt more poignantly than when hunting for shellfish. It seems all too common an occurrence that one finds one's self waist deep in sea water, raking sand for clams, scallops, and the like, when a pang of thirst strikes, perhaps due to exposure to the sun, hard work, and so forth. However, with both hands occupied by a rake, and a net for catch clipped to one's side, there is really no convenient way to carry one, let alone multiple bottles of water or other preferred refreshment.
Similarly, many of us have found ourselves in the middle of a productive scallop bed only to suddenly remember an important phone call that needs to be made. Yet, there in addition to having our hands full, there is no simple and water-resistant mechanism for carrying a cellular phone in anticipation of such a need.
Even more practically, there is often a need or desire to sample one's catch upon bringing up fresh shellfish. Splitting open a fresh clam or scallop requires use of tools, condiments, and often a working surface. However, such items are relatively bulky, and not suited for simply being carried in a wader or pants pocket.
And, how does one provide music or play-by-play audio or video coverage of important world events, sporting contests, and the like, provide convenient access to a dry sandwich and chips, or even provide access to a dry tissue, when standing on a submerged sandbar far from shore?
There is also the constant battle with carrying one's catch while working. One common solution is to stay close to a boat, and deliver the fruitful contents of each rake stroke to that vessel. However, this becomes problematic when multiple fishermen have taken the same boat to the beds—they must stay relatively close together, limiting the effectiveness of the fishing. This also requires that a seawater-baring container be provided onboard so that the crustacea may be kept alive and fresh for delivery to land. Desirably, but challengingly, the conditions (temperature, salinity, etc.) in such a container should match those from which the shellfish are harvested. Another common solution involves carrying a net or bag clipped to one's belt and into which the catch may be deposited and retained underwater. However, this is sub-optimal in that such a receptacle quickly becomes heavy, bulky, and otherwise burdensome and potentially dangerous, as well as hindering the flexibility, grace, and dexterity required for ideal shellfish location and retrieval.
While efforts have been made to address many of the individual shortcomings identified above, no known mechanism exists for simply, effectively, and simultaneously addressing all of these demands.